Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman will be stepping down after nearly two decades on council. He announced today that he’s accepted an offer to be president of Global Cleveland, an organization that helps immigrants and refugees settle in the city. WKSU’s Kevin Niedermier reports.
Cimperman will resign in March after city council finishes budget hearings. He says the opportunity to help immigrants was too appealing to pass up after 18 years representing Cleveland’s downtown ward which required 24-hour-a-day attention. But he says it’s been satisfying work.
“I’m proud of the fact that we have an incredible social service network for the people in our community who don’t have homes and for people who are struggling. I’m proud of the fact that there are more people working and living downtown now than at any time in our city’s history.”
Cimperman will choose his replacement to finish out his term which runs through 2017. Council must approve the selection.
Cimperman is still facing an ethics investigation involving city contracts awarded to a company his wife works for. He says he’s hoping the probe wraps up soon so everyone can move forward.
